Airbnb is returning to its roots by revamping how it offers single rooms for rent.
The San Francisco-based short-term rental company unveiled “Airbnb Rooms” last week, a renewed push for single-room rentals for travelers who want a host and may not want to shell out the cost to rent an entire house.
“Today, people want to travel affordably, especially considering the current economy. And after years of being isolated during the pandemic, they’re looking for ways to connect with others and have authentic experiences,” Airbnb said in a May 3 press release.
Through the offering, users can rent a room in the same house or apartment as their host, with rooms averaging $67 per night, according to AP News.
“This is going to be especially popular for the next generation of travelers,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said, per AP. “The average Gen Z traveler wants to pay less than $100 a night.”
While individual room rentals never actually left the Airbnb platform, Rooms will emphasize informing potential guests about who their hosts will be and provide more pertinent details on potential booking sites to ensure transparency for guests.
“Guests have told us they want to know who they’ll be sharing space with before they book a private room,” the company said.
The move is the latest push for sharing-economy apps’ renewed focus on affordability. Uber announced this week that it is expanding its shared rides option, UberX Share, which it temporarily cut during the pandemic.
While Airbnb posted its first profit in company history last year, to the tune of $1.9 billion, the company received a barrage of negative press surrounding its opaque cleaning fees, and some host’s laundry list of checkout “chores” had some travelers fed up with the service, as reported by The Dallas Express.
To address these complaints, the company said it will begin allowing users to see checkout lists before booking.
“In six months to a year, there should be a material reduction in onerous checkout tasks,” Chesky said, according to AP. “This should hopefully not be a meme anymore.”
